Three Questions
Humble Leaders Ask
To avoid falling victim to narcissistic tendencies,
leaders need to look outside in more ways than one.
My
office window looks out on the only grassed square in my neighbourhood. The
view is wonderful: toddlers stumbling along playing tag, love-struck teenagers
flirting shyly, fathers patiently playing ball with their offspring, hopeful
they have an Olympics contender in the making.
As
a supervisory board member of
several companies, I often have to make difficult telephone calls over
the course of the day; it may be to address conflicts in the boardroom or
discuss tricky takeovers or remuneration issues. In each case, a quick glance
out of the window during these conversations provides perspective and
significantly improves my mood, which clearly benefits the outcome of the
discussions.
It
is a shame then that so many directors' offices are without such a view and are
often far away from the ordinary world.
Narcissistic
leaders
Research
conducted by my INSEAD colleague, Professor Manfred Kets de Vries, among
others, suggests narcissism
is a frequent occurrence among management’s upper echelons.
In fact the number of narcissists in top management is clearly above average,
although it is impossible to say exactly how many because narcissism is not
black and white: it is a sliding scale. A degree of narcissism is required to
be an inspirational and visionary leader, someone with the courage to take
unconventional steps in disruptive environments. Too much narcissism, however,
leads to megalomania, manipulative behaviour and a focus on one’s own power and
status instead of the interests of the company, employees and clients.
Narcissism
doesn't just happen; the foundation is laid by a combination of innate
personality traits and childhood experiences. It only truly reveals itself as
an individual attains increasing power and success, and is most obvious in
organisations with large hierarchical distances where great importance is
attached to status.
According
to academic literature, external indicators for narcissism include the
frequency with which a manager uses 'I' instead of 'we', how prominently they
feature in the news, and the distance between their remuneration and that of
the rest of the organisation. To this list I have personally and subjectively
added, an attractive, young, second (or third) wife, a luxury company car and
prestigious additional functions.
Three
questions to staying grounded
So,
what role does my office window play in preventing excessive
narcissism? As a manager, it is important to keep your feet firmly on the
ground.
To
do this, leaders need to look at three aspects of their lives and regularly ask
themselves: am I surrounded by enough
critical voices? Is there enough adversity? And, have I kept contact with the
world outside the office?
Critical
voices can come from many sides. On a personal level, from censorious teenagers
and one’s (first) spouse who knows you inside out. At a professional level you
can regularly ask for feedback from employees. Evaluations from young employees
in particular can be ruthless but very enlightening. And of course you can
surround yourself with colleagues, and supervisory board members, who won’t
accept things at face value.
When
it comes to adversity, setbacks cannot be planned but I can’t help but be
sceptical if a manager has always prospered. Adversity teaches us that we
cannot have control over everything. It makes us less likely to judge others.
How an individual deals with adversity and what he/she learns from it is one of
the most meaningful indicators of sustained success.
Finding
another perspective
Finally,
how do we stay in contact with the real world? It’s not easy for today’s
managers to remain open to customers, staff and the people on the street, when
they spend the majority of their time in transit or shuttered in meeting rooms,
usually in the company of other directors. However, taking time to spend a day
in your organisation’s call-centre speaking to dissatisfied customers, or
visiting customers’ homes with the technical team, can be well worthwhile. Tony
Ball, a non-executive board director at British Telecom, tells the story of the
day he went ‘on the job’ and discovered how inventive engineers managed to
avoid unnecessary bureaucratic rules to genuinely assist customers. The CEO of
one of the companies where I am a board member holds regular 'fireplace
meetings' with young staff members in all the countries where they are active.
By
taking a more humble, grounded approach and seeking advice from a different
perspective, managers can contain inherent egocentricity and avoid the
trappings of narcissism.
Of course it helps
to be able to view the real world through your window, and be reminded that
power and happiness are two separate things.
Annet
Aris, INSEAD Adjunct Professor of Strategy Read more at
http://knowledge.insead.edu/blog/insead-blog/three-questions-humble-leaders-ask-4877?utm_source=INSEAD+Knowledge&utm_campaign=ffa10be0d7-8_Sept_mailer9_8_2016&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_e079141ebb-ffa10be0d7-249840429#fjkgCfTwPqEzarZX.99
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